In recent years, development on a two-terminal non-volatile variable resistive element as typified by ReRAM (resistive random access memory) is being made enthusiastically. Because low-power operation, high-speed switching and miniaturization can be achieved, the non-volatile variable resistive element potent as a next-generation mass storage device that can be an alternative to existing products such as a floating-gate-type NAND flash memory, and so forth.